The consistency of routines helps ground our kids. They learn to trust what will happen. Rituals also shape our kids. They learn to tie the here-and-now to bigger ideas.

Prayer. Routine or ritual? Ritual.

Teeth-brushing. Routine or ritual? Routine.

Bedtime stories. Routine or ritual? Ritual.

My answers are arbitrary. You could argue that some of these items are both routine and ritual. Perhaps we could define a routine as something we must do for our physical well-being, like flossing. We could define a ritual as something we feel compelled to do for our spiritual well-being, like reading Bible stories to our children.

Summer brings new routines. Camp instead of school, salads instead of soup, Bible school instead of Sunday school. And summer brings new rituals. Like applying sunscreen to our children. Wait! What makes putting on sunscreen a ritual?

Think about it. Doesn't putting on sunscreen seem like a ceremonial act? First one arm, then the other; one leg, then the other. Finally, keeping our child's little face from turning away so we can get some sunscreen on his or her nose. We remember to carry sunscreen throughout the summer, and we do the dance of applying it to our wiggling, hopping, twirling toddlers because of what it means. We want to protect our kids.

We want to protect our kids from every form of evil and harm, of course. We hear about random violence and disease, and we hold our little ones closer. If only we could bottle a protective layer for all of life's pitfalls! So we do our best, determinedly smoothing on that waterproof kid-formula sunscreen. It's a ritual because our determination reflects our love. We're also smoothing prayers on our little ones, there at the beach or the park. May you be safe. May you know love.

Prayer is a ritual that God gives to us. We can take our fears for our kids to God every day. "Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm" (Ephesians 6:11-13).